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George Durfee Correspondence (Digitized Content)

180 Items Full Collection Description

The digitized content of the George Durfee Papers consists of the correspondence of George S. Durfee, a soldier and captain during the United States Civil War and a member of the Illinois Vicksburg Commission.

George S. Durfee (1840-1907) was born in Marshall, Michigan. The Durfee family moved to Decatur, Illinois, when George Durfee was seventeen. In 1861, he joined Company A, 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served with the unit until 1866, rising to the rank of captain. He married Sarah A. Powers in 1857, and the couple had four daughters.

The digitized content contains the correspondence of George Durfee from 1861-1901, most of which was created during the United States Civil War. The correspondence in this collection describes camp life, various political and military figures, and army policies. Durfee reports on several campaigns and battles, including Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and the occupation of Texas. The collection also contains papers regarding family matters and Durfee's 1901 appointment by Governor Richard Yates as a member of the commission to determine and mark the positions of Illinois troops in the siege of Vicksburg, the Illinois Vicksburg Commission.

The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the George Durfee Correspondence and Papers, 1861-1901 (MS 603). The collection was completely digitized in 2021. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.

Letter from George S. Durfee (Camp Defiance, Cairo) to Uncle, May 16, 1861 — 0603_0001_008-001